XTC As The Dukes Of Stratosphear
★★★★ Psurroundabout Ride PANEGYRIC. CD+BL
Psychedelic Pswindonian pspoofs given the Psteven Wilson remix treatment.
Technological advancements aside, it’s unlikely that when XTC recorded 25 O’Clock in 1985 and Psonic Psunspot in ’87, they would have expected their side project to have such stamina. But, unexpectedly, the Dukes outsold XTC at the time, chiming with the ongoing psychedelic revival, and these songs stand up still as lovingly wrought pastiches of ’60s psych, principally the British version with its rather goofy reversion to a world of childhood fantasy. Psurround about Ride has all 19 released tracks in their original form, remixed and in surround sound, together with demos and instrumental versions. With its on-rushing drums, queasy mellotron and wah wah Farfisa organ, Have You Seen Jackie? nods back to Tomorrow, early Pink Floyd and Traffic. But the standout is Mole From The Ministry, a pastiche of I Am The Walrus which stands comparison with The Rutles’ Piggy In The Middle. Praise indeed.